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Corvallis Man Charged With Illegal Sale Of Rifle Scope

A Corvallis man faces customs charges related to the illegal sale of a rifle scope. Geoffrey Roose was released on his own recognizance after his initial court appearance Wednesday.

Editor’s Note

The original version of this article incorrectly stated the charges against Corvallis resident Geoffrey Roose. Officials say Roose attemped to sell restricted military equipment without the proper licensing. OPB regrets the error.

Roose had apparently listed several kinds of military hardware for sale on eBay. But in August, customs officials noticed Roose was offering a kind of rifle scope that can’t be sold overseas without a license.

Charging documents say an undercover agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement posed as a potential buyer.

Prosecutors say a package with the tracking number Roose provided the agent was intercepted, and found to contain one of the scopes.

Thomas Woods is an Assistant US Attorney for the Western District of Washington. He says the federal government takes the sale of military-grade equipment seriously.

“It’s a violation that both ICE and the United States Attorney’s office has taken an increasing focus on to ensure that technology that is restricted doesn’t fall into the wrong hands,” says Woods.

Roose could not be reached for comment. The maximum penalty he could face if found guilty is a twenty year prison term.